Learning English in an Arabic context: A study of first-year Libyan university students’ challenges in the learning of English

Abstract

This study sought to identify the challenges that lecturers and students faced in developing English language communicative competence for academic purposes at a Libyan university. The EFL challenges in learning English have been mostly studied by Arab learners in some of Arabic countries. Such a line of research has been relatively unexplored in Libya; hence, this study addressed this gap. This research canvassed students’ and lecturers’ experiences and perceptions in the teaching and learning of academic English in a foreign language context. Within a case study approach, a convergent mixed methods research design was used. Data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods in an interpretative paradigm. The study employs three data generation methods, a semi-structured interview, focus group discussion, and questionnaires. The findings suggest that this study can be classified into four categories of EFL Libyan learning challenges: linguistic, cultural, institutional, and structural challenges. Linguistic challenges are those related to language issues confronted by both lecturers and students. Most participants agreed that Arabic and English are linguistically dissimilar. The cultural challenge manifests as a dissonance between students’ cultural predilections and the decoding required for meaning making in English as a foreign language. Institutional challenges are described as the general position of higher education in Libya, and the problems students encounter when joining this education system. Finally, structural challenges were related to the overall teaching program coherence. The study concludes by making suggestions to improve communicative competence in the target language at the research site, and to explore how students can overcome their English learning challenges.

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